Clutch.



S. G. HARBY.

CLUTCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20. 1914.

1,163,085. Patented Dem 7, 1915 mnmewo N} I I attorney at O . barren ra ifies 'anntr orrro SOULA G. HARDY, RIPLEY, OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 Q. V. BEIDWELL, OF RIPLEY, OKLAHOMA.

CLUTCH.

' Application filed March 20, 1914.

1" '0 (4H whom may concern:

lie it known that l, Soon; G. HARDY, a citizen of the United States, residing at :tipley, in. the county of Payne and State of Oklahon'ia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clutches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to variable speed mechanisms, and is particularly designed for use in connection with automobile transmission.

The object of the invention is to provide a gearing of this class that is cheap and simple of construction, and which may be operated without danger of chipping or stripping the gears when changing speeds while in operation.

With this and. other objects in view, the

invention consists of a plurality of gears mounted upon a driving shaft and a countershaft, certain of said gears being fast to the shaft and others freefexcept when engaged by sliding clutch members, said members being formed with teeth of a novel formation whereby it is possible to bring into and out of action certain of said gears without damage to their toothed faces.

In the drawings forming a part of this application, Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved variable speed gearing. Fig. 2 is a view of a portion of the clutch member, disengaged. Fig. 3 is a view of the same engaged. V

It is a well known fact that'in older types of selective variable speed gearing the countershaft driving gear and its driver seldom wear out or become broken, but by reason of the sliding into and out of engagement of the difierent gears to obtain difi'erent speeds, there results a chipping away of the ends of the teeth of the gears so that they quickly become useless. In manyinstances when changing from one speed to another, the gears are often stripped rendering the mechanism useless.

In carrying out my invention I may pro vide the usual casing or housing 1, in which suitable bearings may be provided for the shafts. One of these shafts designated in the drawings at 2 rotates in the bearing 3, and the end of said shaft which extends within thehousing has keyed thereon a driving gear 4. This gear is formed upon. one of its sideswith a plurality of teeth 5, these teeth forming part of a clutch hereinafter.

Specification of Letters iatent.

Patented Dec. 7, 1915..

Serial No. 826,037.

described. The gear 4.- engages another gear 6 of. larger diameter fixed to a countershaft 7 whereby said shaft may be driven.

The shaft 2 extends only a short distance within the housing and has its end bored longitudinally to receive the end of a shaft 8 of smaller diameter. Any suitable means maybe employed to form an anti-friction bearing for the shaft 8 at this point. Splined upon this shaft 8 is a sliding clutch member 9 having a plurality of teeth upon each of its faces, one of said faces being adapted to engage the teeth while the opposite face is adapted to engage teeth 10 formed upon one side ofa gear 11. loosely mounted upon the shaft 8. The clutch member 9 is preferably provided with a groove 12 for engagement with the usual shifting yoke (not shown).

The gear 11 engages a gear 13, preferably of smaller diameter, said gear being fixed to the countershaft 7. A gear 14 loosely mounted on the countershaft 7 engages a gear 15 of larger diameter fixed upon the shaft 8. This gear 1 is provided with clutch teeth 16 adapted to engage the teeth of a clutch member 17 similar to the member 9, this member 17 being splined to the countershaft 7. The opposite face of the clutch member 17 is adapted to engage teeth 18 formed on a pinion 19 loose upon the countershaft 7 and said pinion engages a pinion20 mounted on a. short shaft 21, this last mentioned pinion engaging a gear 22 fixed upon the shaft 8.

It will thus be seen that the shaft 2 which is the power shaft carries with it the gear 4, and by bringing into engagement the memher 9 with the teeth 5 the shafts 2 and 8 are coupled and a. direct drive is obtained. If the member 9 is thrown into engagement with the teeth 10, an intermediate speed is obtained through the gears l, 6, 13 and 11. By sliding the member 17 into engagement with the teeth 16, a low speed results through the gears 4, 6, l4: and 15, while a reverse motion of the shaft 8 is obtained by sliding the member 17 into engagement with the teeth 18. This brings into action the gears 4, 6, 19, 20 and 22.

The clutch members 9 and 17, as well as the teeth 5, 10, 16 and 18 as before stated are of novel formation. By reference to Figs. 2 and 3 it will be seen that the opposite teeth of the clutches are provided with chamfered corners 23, and-inelined facesi, these ini that I have provided vwith the result:

.tained until both ment is partially made, automatically clinedfa'ces being at approximately 90 to the chamfer 23.

' By reason of the chamfered corners ofthe teeth engagement is absolutely prevented untilboth members are rotating at apprbxp T tBlY the same speed. The chamfered glancing ofi mately the same speed.

when changing speeds with the mechanism running,

Changes in minor details of construction may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of'the advantages of the invention. I

What I. claim is a A clutch provided with oppositely disposed engaging teeth, the initial engaging portions of said teeth being chamfered, and

oppositely inclined locking surfaces formed on said teeth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses. a

a SOULA o. HARDY,

Witnesses:

CARLTON U. RADABAUGH, JOHN ('3. YDEJ'ARNETT,

the. form, proportion and 

